New higher TelMex DSL speeds

(I just posted this to my local Michoacan_net group, but think it's probably of sufficiently broad interest to repost here.)

In 2011, Carlos Slim and TelMex announced an upgrade to their internet infrastructure, aspiring to leapfrog the US and provide European-like quality and capability. A very tall order and promise.

Three years later super-high-speed fiber optic cable was strung on some of the streets of our colonia, including right in front of our house. Inquiries at TelMex got responses like "it's in case someone builds an apartment building" or "it's for a cell phone tower" -- all rubbish. Then six months ago, when stopping in Morelia at Rio 53 for a burger, I saw an installer with a car full of fiber optic modems, putting fiber-optic drops directly into the homes on the street. Now we're talking speeds like 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps. I asked where it was available, and he said "todo de Michoacán", but of course that doesn't include Pátzcuaro when I inquired at the local office and by calling their support line.

However, all is not lost with our existing copper pairs between the house and the central office on Ahumada. (Sorry for those in the boonies who can't even get a telephone line, let alone internet except from Bolivar by radio. You can stop reading now.)

13 days ago I got a text message on my cell AND a voice message on our home TelMex line, saying to bring in our modem for an upgrade, and that the old modem would eventually stop working. I did that yesterday, and the first attendant I talked to was clueless, wanting to give me the same exact model back, thinking mine was defective. We looked up the account on her system, and there was a red flag. She asked someone else, who asked a supervisor, who went to the other side of the room to retrieve a large blue box containing a Thomson TG788vn modem. The new modem is VDSL and VDLS2 capable.

There are many standards for DSL data connections. For years, TelMex has used ADSL2+ and is now switching to VDSL. Without getting too technical (you can read about them on Wikipedia), the evolving standards from ADSL through VDSL2 move to higher and higher speeds. VDSL2 can do 100 Mbps under ideal conditions. Speeds will always be limited by copper wire length and line quality, which is why folks further from the central office can't get the same speed as folks who are closer. (Which may be the real reason they're stringing fiber optic cable in the streets -- it could eventually feed local distribution boxes that then only have to use the existing copper pairs a few hundred meters to nearby homes.)

Anyway, I took it home, plugged it in, and got the exact same speed I had before -- 8 Mbps down, although the upload speed improved slightly from 0.8 Mbps to 1.1. I called Telmex support, asked for an English-speaking technician, and "Carlo" tested the modem remotely, called the central office, and then had me restart the modem, all in the space of five minutes. Speedtest.net now reported my download speed at 20 Mbps and my upload speed at 5 Mbps. Yippee. And at no additional cost.

We've had the $599/month Paquete Acerques, which is no longer called that. According to http://telmex.com/web/hogar/conexion-internet, it's now "Infinitum hasta 20 Mbps" for $599. The existing $389 package that many folks have is now "Infinitum hasta 10 Mbps". "Hasta" is a big word here, so there's no guarantee you'll get the speed we did. We're a few blocks from the central office, although because of the circuitous path the cables take, one tech told me we were 1.2 km wire distance.

In addition to the above packages, there are others at http://telmex.com/web/hogar/valida-telefono. Enter your phone number and e-mail, and they will tell you what speeds are available for your particular line (subject to 'hasta'). According to this, I can get up to 50 Mbps speed for an additional 100 peso per month. I just spoke to Carlo again, he checked his system and said we should get 46 Mbps download in this area, and 9 Mbps upload, so I'm going to give it a spin.

Why would anyone need these speeds? For high-def streaming video, a solid 6-7 Mbps average is adequate. But TelMex is planning on homes where family members are simultaneously streaming different videos on separate devices. That's not our situation, but I can tell you that going from 8 Mbps to 20 makes web pages pop, especially now that so many are encrusted with ads and embedded videos. If you download movies and music for later viewing, all of that happens a lot faster. I sometimes have to transfer large, 20-30 GB files, so for me, all speed increases are useful.

So if you got a message about needing to upgrade your modem, don't ignore it. TelMex really is upgrading their system.

Re: [at7mbe] New higher TelMex DSL speeds

Gosh, that is really great. Here along the shores of Lake Chapala almost no one gets more than ten mb/sec down. In fact after two years of having 10 down, they decreased my speed to about 5 mb/sec down by about 0.5 mb/sec up and I am paying for the $599 package.

Re: [johanson] New higher TelMex DSL speeds

I would inquire at your local TelMex office, or better yet, call 01-800-123-0000, press 1 to say you're calling from the same number, then 4 for tech support. Then ask for a technico that speaks English. Ask him about the ADSL2 to VDSL upgrade and when it will be available for your line. It's the VDSL upgrade that is key to the new, higher speeds. -- Mark

Re: [at7mbe] New higher TelMex DSL speeds

Lakeside they don't have the bandwidth for high speed. If so, then s VDSL modem would be great. My old fashioned ADSL modem works just fine for speeds much faster than is being offered lakeside these days. In my case I had the higher speeds, and I qualify for the 12 down promised, that I used to have. The trouble is they set me back. And yes, I have talked to the Telmex main office in Mexico City. They agreed I should and could have my old faster connection. They said that it was the local office clamping down on some of us.

Re: [at7mbe] New higher TelMex DSL speeds

Thanks for sharing this. I just took the test and got a downspeed of 11.62 and I'm paying the 599 price. Here in Puerto Vallarta IZZI has come in taking over the area so we are having a lot of things change. Needed a new box for the TV but the modem remained the same. IZZI seems to be having a lot of problems so we're staying with TelMex Chef William aka MexicanBill

Re: [Mexicanbill] New higher TelMex DSL speeds

Bill, for $599, you might get 20 Mbps if and when they switch your line standard to VDSL and you exchange modems. That's why I suggest either calling Telmex technical support or supply your phone number and e-mail address to them at http://telmex.com/...ogar/valida-telefono

Either should tell you the highest speed they can provide at different package prices to your particular line. From what I can see, they have a pretty sophisticated remote line diagnostic and test facility.

I'm waiting for the possible 46 Mbps upgrade, which they said might take 24-72 hours for the work order to be processed. I'll report back here if this is for real. If a poor backwater like Pátzcuaro, Michoacán can be offered such services, I imagine an important city like PV should have similar options.

Re: [at7mbe] New higher TelMex DSL speeds

In my case I did get 12 and the local Telmex office pulled up records showing me that I could get 12. It's just that they are not giving it to me anymore. I will just keep on begging for faster speeds. Maybe if I drop back to the $399 and pay extra for a faster connection they will give it to me.